Sea levels around the world are rising as a result of human-caused global warming.
Overall, global sea levels have risen about 10 centimeters from 1993 to 2023, as seen in this animation.
However, sea levels are also rising at an accelerating rate. Right now, global sea level rises about 0.17 inches (0.42 centimeters) per year. For comparison, the 1993 rate was 0.07 inches (0.13 centimeters) per year.
“Current rates of acceleration mean that we are on track to add another 20 centimeters of global mean sea level by 2050, doubling the amount of change in the next three decades compared to the previous 100 years and increasing the frequency and impacts of floods across the world.” – Nadya Vinogradova Shiffer, director for the NASA sea level change team.
Video Description:
Animation of blue ocean water level rising from 1993 to 2023. A vertical line shows change in sea level in increments of 10 centimeters and 5 inches. The animation starts in 1993 and, as it continues, the water sloshes up and down but continues an overall rising trend until the animation ends in 2023. By the end, the water level has risen just over 10 centimeters from where it started.
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Climate volatility is reshaping low-impact construction strategies, particularly in flood-prone and mountainous regions. Designers must adopt adaptive lifecycle assessment frameworks that prioritise redundancy, attenuation, and slope stability. These approaches support net zero whole life carbon goals and reduce the carbon footprint of construction, reinforcing resilience and resource efficiency in construction.
The policy debate on decarbonisation is shifting toward measurable outcomes. Governments are preparing performance-linked procurement and finance mechanisms that embed whole life carbon benchmarks into material supply chains. The accelerating move toward net zero carbon buildings, green construction, and BREEAM V7 standards signals the transition from intent to implementation. Markets for low embodied carbon materials and circular construction strategies are scaling at pace, defining a new baseline for sustainable building practices and comprehensive whole life carbon accountability across the global built environment.
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